Ponder this...

Spaces sermon bumper

Here's the intro for our latest teaching series called "Spaces"!

Steve Rehn Memorial site

Steve's Family have set up a site where you can read and submit memories and photo's of Steve.  Check it out here www.memoriesofsteve.com

My new favorite picture!

Here is my son Jesse hamming it up with his Great-Grandpa and my Uncle Glen which would be his... Gran-Uncle?

Margo Fisher

Margo passed from this world earlier this week.  She was a delightful woman who loved photography, a good laugh and her weekly ladies Bible study. Margo struggled with cancer for the past six months. She was served well by Mel, the love of her life and husband of 48 years. Her funeral service will be at Oak Park at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, October 21. 

New Creation

Here's some creativity...



New Creation from FC Post on Vimeo.

You Never Let Go

Parts of me

Death has made an appearance more often this year than any other in my life. I’ve been to more funerals this year than the last 15 years of ministry combined. Each person was taken too soon. I was not done with them yet :). Yesterday, I learned of another friend who will be moved to a hospice soon - another wife with cancer…

Part of me just wants to lie on the bed, curl into a fetal position, hug a blankey, and rock back and forth.

Part of me feels like everything is spinning out of control. We are on a train careening off the walls of a black tunnel - bouncing, jarring, never smooth, all of us holding our breath, waiting for the next collision.

Part of me wonders if gravity has increased. Is life getting heavier?  Is this what growing older feels like? Is this the ending of the world?

Part of me is awakened to the after-death reality of our faith. So many books, so many talks on this life, and yet without the hope of the next I feel only despair.

Part of me wants to seize this moment, to squeeze love into and out of my family like never before - in gratitude that we have today – in fear that we won’t have tomorrow.

Part of my heart lurches and tears come to my eyes whenever the word “resurrection” is spoken or sung. My faith leans desperate and hard on the hope that the Bible is true.

Part of me realizes that “hanging on” to faith, hope, love and life is our greatest challenge and greatest accomplishment.

Steve Rehn Funeral

Steve's family has decided that the service will be next Saturday (October 18) at 2:00 PM at the Oak Park Church of Christ.  I hope you are able to come!

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Steve Rehn

We received word today that Steve Rehn was killed last week in an accident in Northern Nigeria. Steve has been chasing his grand dream of cycling across Africa. He went to Africa at the end of June to teach at a conference on Literacy of West Africa. After that he's been riding since the beginning of August and has crossed much of West Africa.
You can read about some of his more recent adventures at his blog here.

Steve's caring heart and zest for life and action made him instantly likable!  He and I connected well right from the start. Over the past couple of years he became a good friend and a prayer and accountability partner. I don't recall any times that ended our time together without prayer.  He opened his heart to me several times and for that I am so grateful and honored. I'm only realizing today just how inspirational his desire for godliness and spreading God's love abroad is to me.

The wake of his life is large, fun, and full of faith, hope and love. Along with his close family and so many friends I grieve the loss of one of the best men I've known.

Please pray for his family. 

Check out this page for the announcement by his brother Dave.

Recent tunes

Angels and Airwaves - workout music

Elbow - good song to start the day almost as good as this one

Chris Tomlin - he does it so well, again and again

Matthew West - seems to be a highlight in the Christian music scene recently - here's one

Decemberadio - this is the song my 8 year-old plays at loud volume repeatedly (when he isn't listening to Tobymac)